China vows to protect climate agreement

Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to protect the landmark Paris agreement, which aims to curb climate change and fossil fuel emissions.

He made the promise in a phone call with incoming French President Emmanuel Macron, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.

Photo: 123rf

US President Donald Trump is still deciding whether to withdraw from the accord - an election campaign promise.

Climate experts worry such a move would throw the agreement into chaos.

A White House meeting to discuss the topic on Tuesday has been postponed, amid reports of divisions among senior Trump advisers.

It is the second time the meeting has been cancelled. No new date has been given.

Mr Xi told Mr Macron China and France "should protect the achievements of global governance, including the Paris agreement", according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Under former President Barack Obama, the US and China issued several joint statements on climate change, even announcing together they would sign the Paris agreement. The two countries are the world's biggest polluters.

For his part, when Mr Macron received his congratulatory phone call from the US president he told him he would also seek to defend the climate deal.

Speaking on Tuesday at a conference in Milan, Italy, Mr Obama said the US and China had to "lead the way" in the fight against climate change.

"The good news is the private sector has already made a determination that the future is clean energy," he said.

"Those things are locked in now, into the energy sector. Because of the debates taking place in the current administration the steps may be taken more slowly than they would have been done, but I'm confident," he added.

The latest comments come as climate negotiators meet in the German city of Bonn to discuss how to put the Paris agreement into practice.